Speaking Spanish Helpful?

Nurses General Nursing

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Do you find that speaking Spanish is helpful in your job? I am considering starting to learn it on my own (have been for quite awhile) and was wondering if all of you here think it would be useful or just a waste of time?

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I excelled in Spanish and French in school and fortunately most of the Spanish stuck with me. I love using it (and yes I do get it wrong sometimes) and really find people grateful for my trying. It really opens up lines of communication and paves the way fora great patient-nurse interaction for me. And it seems to increase trust among my Spanish-speaking patients and family members. Yes I sound funny to them at times I am sure, but they are ALWAYS gracious and more than happy to help me along over my errors! I find talking with them delightful almost every time I try!

I was on maternity leave at a prior hospital when I was asked if I would write their patient teaching handouts in Spanish. They paid me by the hour to do it at the rate I would be earning at the hospital on the unit functioning a s a nurse. I found this challenging and fun and felt VERY useful in so doing. I understand my translation worked out very well for the Spanish-speaking people needing these materials for their discharge teaching. I recommend ALL people taking up a language not native to them. It really does open up eyes and worlds we other wise would miss out on!

Here in Seattle, my self-challenge is to learn some Korean and Tagalog and I am slowly doing it. (oh so slowly). Many Korean and Philippino (as well as Vietnamese) residents transplanted here and wow, are they happy to help. They never laugh at my feeble attempts to speak their words. It really opens up doors and friendships like I did not believe. They love that I try even if I DO suck at it rofl! :p

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I excelled in Spanish and French in school and fortunately most of the Spanish stuck with me. I love using it (and yes I do get it wrong sometimes) and really find people grateful for my trying. It really opens up lines of communication and paves the way fora great patient-nurse interaction for me. And it seems to increase trust among my Spanish-speaking patients and family members. Yes I sound funny to them at times I am sure, but they are ALWAYS gracious and more than happy to help me along over my errors! I find talking with them delightful almost every time I try!

I was on maternity leave at a prior hospital when I was asked if I would write their patient teaching handouts in Spanish. They paid me by the hour to do it at the rate I would be earning at the hospital on the unit functioning a s a nurse. I found this challenging and fun and felt VERY useful in so doing. I understand my translation worked out very well for the Spanish-speaking people needing these materials for their discharge teaching. I recommend ALL people taking up a language not native to them. It really does open up eyes and worlds we other wise would miss out on!

Here in Seattle, my self-challenge is to learn some Korean and Tagalog and I am slowly doing it. (oh so slowly). Many Korean and Philippino (as well as Vietnamese) residents transplanted here and wow, are they happy to help. They never laugh at my feeble attempts to speak their words. It really opens up doors and friendships like I did not believe. They love that I try even if I DO suck at it rofl! :p

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
I excelled in Spanish and French in school and fortunately most of the Spanish stuck with me. I love using it (and yes I do get it wrong sometimes) and really find people grateful for my trying. It really opens up lines of communication and paves the way fora great patient-nurse interaction for me. And it seems to increase trust among my Spanish-speaking patients and family members. Yes I sound funny to them at times I am sure, but they are ALWAYS gracious and more than happy to help me along over my errors! I find talking with them delightful almost every time I try!

I was on maternity leave at a prior hospital when I was asked if I would write their patient teaching handouts in Spanish. They paid me by the hour to do it at the rate I would be earning at the hospital on the unit functioning a s a nurse. I found this challenging and fun and felt VERY useful in so doing. I understand my translation worked out very well for the Spanish-speaking people needing these materials for their discharge teaching. I recommend ALL people taking up a language not native to them. It really does open up eyes and worlds we other wise would miss out on!

That's the spirit !!! :)

Good for YOU ! :balloons:

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
I excelled in Spanish and French in school and fortunately most of the Spanish stuck with me. I love using it (and yes I do get it wrong sometimes) and really find people grateful for my trying. It really opens up lines of communication and paves the way fora great patient-nurse interaction for me. And it seems to increase trust among my Spanish-speaking patients and family members. Yes I sound funny to them at times I am sure, but they are ALWAYS gracious and more than happy to help me along over my errors! I find talking with them delightful almost every time I try!

I was on maternity leave at a prior hospital when I was asked if I would write their patient teaching handouts in Spanish. They paid me by the hour to do it at the rate I would be earning at the hospital on the unit functioning a s a nurse. I found this challenging and fun and felt VERY useful in so doing. I understand my translation worked out very well for the Spanish-speaking people needing these materials for their discharge teaching. I recommend ALL people taking up a language not native to them. It really does open up eyes and worlds we other wise would miss out on!

That's the spirit !!! :)

Good for YOU ! :balloons:

:rotfl: im really torn my cousin said that in nursing school in california it is a must that you learn spanish,no disrespect to anyone but i feel it is very unfair to tell me i have to learn so i can communicate with you. thats like me going to mexico and you having to learn english in order for you to have a job(sounds crazy)

:rotfl: im really torn my cousin said that in nursing school in california it is a must that you learn spanish,no disrespect to anyone but i feel it is very unfair to tell me i have to learn so i can communicate with you. thats like me going to mexico and you having to learn english in order for you to have a job(sounds crazy)

Spanish comes in very handy for me, even over here. I can explain something to a tourist coming here when no one else is able to.

Also a litle tip, if you have patients coming to your facility from Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam and none of you speak those languages, many also speak FRENCH as there countries were French colonies at some point. This came in very handy for me when I was still living in the US. French is the second language in these countries.

Hope that it helps..................... :balloons:

Spanish comes in very handy for me, even over here. I can explain something to a tourist coming here when no one else is able to.

Also a litle tip, if you have patients coming to your facility from Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam and none of you speak those languages, many also speak FRENCH as there countries were French colonies at some point. This came in very handy for me when I was still living in the US. French is the second language in these countries.

Hope that it helps..................... :balloons:

I wish I spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, our second language is French, so that's what I took in school (not that French is bad, but it Spanish would sure be a lot more useful).

I wish I spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, our second language is French, so that's what I took in school (not that French is bad, but it Spanish would sure be a lot more useful).

The hospital I used to work for had a large hispanic population that came through the clinic. I had four years of Spanish in high school, and though I am far from fluent, I remembered enough to be able to get the normal questions answered.

We had many Hmong, but unfortunately, the only people we had to interpret for them was their family members, and you always prayed they understood.

I plan on going back to school someday, probably when the youngest starts school, and I want to take Spanish classes again. Mainly because I enjoy it, but it's a definite bonus for work.

The hospital I used to work for had a large hispanic population that came through the clinic. I had four years of Spanish in high school, and though I am far from fluent, I remembered enough to be able to get the normal questions answered.

We had many Hmong, but unfortunately, the only people we had to interpret for them was their family members, and you always prayed they understood.

I plan on going back to school someday, probably when the youngest starts school, and I want to take Spanish classes again. Mainly because I enjoy it, but it's a definite bonus for work.

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